Excavating apparatus.



J. G. FAIRBANKS.

EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 1320.6, 1909.

Patented Mal'. 18, 1913.

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EXGAVATING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED 1330.6, 1909.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

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Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

J. G. FAIRBANKS.

EXGAVATING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED DEG.6,1909.

v v Smmm-M WJ jh/@Win -/f" zo JAMES Gr.V FAIRBAN'KS, OF MARION, OHIO. i

' EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application ledDecember 6. 1909.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

Serial No. 531,644.

To all lwhom t may concern.'

Beit known that I, JAMES G. FAIRBANKS a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Marion and State of Ohio, have invented a new and' useful Excavating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an excavating apparatus especially designed to be used for cutting ditches and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement ofits parts as hereinafter shown and described.

' The object-of the invention is to provide in an apparatus as indicated, a pivoted arm upon which is pivotally mounted a bell crank. A dipper is carried atene end of the bell crank and a hoisting cable or line is connected-withthe other end-of the bell crank and is adapted to swing the bell crank to cause the dip-per to make an incision in the earth and then lift the bell crank and the free end of the arm.' A line is connected with that end of the bell crank which carries the dipper and when drawn is adapted to swing the bell crank to cause the clipper to assume dumping position. A' gate is pivotally mounted upon the bell crank and bridle chains are provided which limit the swinging movement of the gate and cause the sameto traverse the length of the dipper asthe dipper assumes dumping position whereby the said gate serves as awcleaner` for the dipper.

A further object .of the invention is to pro- Vide means for actuating the cables to operate t-he dipper, the bell'crank and the arm. This means includes a plat-form mounted upon tractors and having a source of power as for instance an engine mounted upon the same. Means is provided for transmitting vmovement from the engine to the tractors whereby the entire apparatus may be Vmoved from point to point at desired intervals. Also means is provided for elevating the tractors and supporting the apparatus upon rollers whereby the apparat-us may be readily turned. Numerous drums are mounted upon the platform and means are provided `for transmitting rotary movement from the engine to the said drums severally or collectively in such series as desired as Will hereinafter appear.- v

In Vthe accompanying drawings z-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the apparatus, showing the dipper in position when making an incision in the ground: Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the apparatus showing the dipper sustaining a load in an elevated position. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the apparatus showing the dipper in dumping position. Fig.- 5 is a top plan view of the platform of the apparatus showing the actuating means located thereon. a

The excavating apparatus includes a platform 1 upon which is mounted a derrick or mast 2 having the supporting cables 3 connected with the upper portion thereof, the lower ends of the said cables being connected with that end portion of the platform 1 opposite the end thereof upon which the mast 2 is mounted. A sleeve 4 is pivotally mounted at the upper portion of the mast 2 and carries journaled sheaves 5 and 6. A boom 7 is pivotally connected at its lower end with the platform 1 in the vicinity of the base of the mast 2 and a cable 8 connects the upper end portion of the said b oom with the sleeve 4. Sheaves 9 and 10 are journaled at the upper portions of the boom`7, the sheave 9 being located at the extremity of the said boom and the sheave 10 at a point in the vicinity of the end of the said boom. An arm 11 is pivotally connected at one end to the boom 7 at a point intermediatethe ends thereof. A bell crank 12 is pivoted to the free end of the arm 11 and is provided with an outstanding strut 13 located in the vicinity of its angle. A dipper 14 is fixed to one end of the bell crank 12 and a sheave 15 is journaled at the other end thereof. A gate 16 is pivoted to the bell crank 12 and the lower portion of the said gate lies in the dipper 14. A bridle chain 17 connects the gate 16 with the arm.v 11 and a bridle chain 18 connects the said gate with the hell crank 12. The bridle chains 17 and 18 are adapted to limit the swinging movement of the gate 16 to an extent equal to the length of the dipper 14.

said gate swings toward the cutting edge rf the dipper it serves as a cleaner or sweep for the dipper. Sheaves 19 and 20 are journaled for rotation in a standard 21 mounted upon the platform 1. A cable 22 is attachedv at one end to the outer portion of the boom 7 and passes under the .sheave 15 thence up and over the sheave 10 thence over the sheave 6 thence down and under the sheave 20 to a winding drum hereinafter to be described mounted upon the platform 1. A. cable 23 is connected at one end with that end of the bell crank 12 to which the dipper 14 is attached thence passes up and over the sheave 9 thence over the sheave 5 thence down and under the sheave 19 to a winding drum hereinafter to be described mounted upon the platform 1. Cables 24 are connected at their ends to the outer portion of the arm 11 and extend to the opposite sides of the platform 1 and pass between rollers 25 horizontally journaled for vertical rotation and thence between guiding sheaves 26 vertically journaled for horizontal rotation and thence to winding drums mounted upon the platform 1 and hereinafter to be described.

l" he platform 1 is supported at each of its four corners upon a truck frame 27 on each of which is journaled a pair of rollers28. lll/*ebs 29 surround the rollers of each pair and are adapted to move in orbits about the same. Supplemental rollers 30 are interposed between t-he lower runs of the webs 29 and the truck frame 2? and serve as means for holding the lower runs of the said webs in contact with the surface of the ground.

tn engine 31 is mounted upon the platform 1 and its shaft is belted or otherwise operatively connected with a shaft 82 journaled for rotation upon the said platform-` Shafts 83 and 84 are also journaled' for rotation upon the platform 1 and are parallel with the shaft rlhe shafts 82, 38

and 84 are onerativel connected to ether by means of intermeshing gear wheels 85, 88 and 87 located upon the said shafts respectively. Beveled gear wheels 38 are mounted upon the ends of the shaft 38 and mesh with beveled gear wheels 89 fixed to the ends of shafts 40 which entend at right angles to the shaft 83. lach shaft 4() is provided with a worm 41 which meshes with a worm wheel 42 mounted upon a shaft 43.

' Sprocket wheels 44 are fixed to the shaft 43 and sprocket wheels 45 are fixed to the shafts of the innermost rollers 28 at one end of the platform 1. Sprocket chains 46 pass around the sprocket wheels 44 and 45 and are adapted to transmit rotary movementfrom the shafts 43 to the rollers 28 which hare the sprocket wheels 45 mounted upon their shafts. Sprocket 'wheels 47 are also fixed to the shafts 48 and sprocket wheels 48 are fined to the shafts of the innermost rollers 28 at the opposite end of the platform 1. Sprocket chains 49-pass around the sprocket wheels 47 and 48 and are .adapted to transmit rotary movement from the shaft 48 to the last said rollers 28. rlhus it will be seen that means is provided for transmitting movement from 'the shaft 33 to the four setsl of rollers at the corners of the platform and consequently during' the rotation of the shaft 33 the webs 29 are moving in orbits about the said rollers and the apparatus is being propelled over the surface of the ground.

e. drum 50 is mounted upon the shaft 33 upon which the cable 23 is adapted to wind, and a drum 51 is mounted upon the shaft 34 upon which the cable 22 is adapted to Wind. rllhe saidA drums are loosely mounted upon their respective shafts but any suitable clutch mechanism not shown, may be pro vided for causing them to rotate with their shafts. Drums 52 are mounted upon the shafts 34 .and the cables 24 are adapt-ed to wind upon the said drums 52.

vertically disposed guides 58 are mounted at the sides of the platform 1 and Spud or jack frames 54 are slidably mounted in the said guides 53. Conical rollers are journaled at the lower ends of the frames 54 and the axes of the rollers in each frame converge toward each other under the middle of the platform 1. A series of sheaves 56 is journaled for rotation in the upper portion o-f each frame 54 and a series of sheaves 57 is journaled for rotation at each side of the platform 1. A cable 58 is attached at one end of the platform 1 and then passes alternately around the sheaves 56 and 57 and the other end portion of the said cable 58 isI adapted to Wind upon a drum 59 mounted upon the shaft 40. lt is of course under stood that the said sheaves and cables are in duplicate and one is located at each side of the said platform. Sheaves 60 are journaled for rotation above the platform 1 and cables 61 pass over the said sheaves G0. tt their inner ends the cables 61 are adapted to wind upon. drums 62 mounted upon the shafts 40 and at their outer ends the said cables 61 are connected with the front and rear ends of track boards 63 which are located between the surface of the ground and the rollers 55.

ln operation the shafts 38 and 84 are in a continuous state of rotation and as heretofore described movement is transmitted from the shaft 33 to the web 29 and consequently the apparatus is moving` (at a slow rate of speed) along the surface of the ground. 'l`o cause the dipper 14 to cut an incision in the ground the cables 22 and 23 are permitted to pay out so that the free end of the arm 11 will swing down and the cutting' edge of the dipper 14 will come in contact with the surface of the ground. 'lthe drawings.

' to one side or the other of the platform 1. After'the arm 11 has been suiciently elevated the pull upon the cable 22 is stopped but the said cable is held-taut and a pull is exerted upon the cable 23 by rendering the drum act-ive with theshaft 33. As the said cable 23 becomes taut itvswin the bell crank 12 upon its pivot and the ipper 14 is swung from the load retaining position shown in Fig. 3 into the dumping position shown in Fig. 4. During the act of swinging the dipper from load retaining position to dumping position the bridle chain 17 becomes taut and sweeps the gate 16 along the length of the said dipper and thus the material is positively poured .from the dipper. The movement of the gate 16 along the bottom of the vdipper 14 is limited by the bridle chain 18 connected with the said gate and the bell crank 12.' By refe-rence to Fig. 3 of the drawing it will be seen that when the dipper 14 is in an elevated position the strut 13 of the bell crank 12 bears against the side of the cable 23 and causes the same to assume an angle between the sheave`9 and its point of attachment with the said bell crank 12. Thus when a pull is exerted upon the said cable 23 it will readily swing the bell crank 12 upon its lvotal connection with the arm 11. Thus it will be seen that while the excavating, elevating and dumping operation is being accomplished the apparatus is progressing along the surface of the ground.

When it is desired to turn the apparatus the cables 61 are slackened so that the track board 63 rests upon the surface of the ground. The cables 58 are then wound upon .the drums 59 so that the ack frames 54 are moved down through the guides 53 and the rollers 55 bear against the upper surfaces of the track board 63. The jack frames 54 are forced down to such an extent as to lift the webs 29 above the-surface of the ground the platform 1 and the arm 11 is lowered so that the dipper 14 comes in contact with v the surface of the ground and then by drawing upon the cable 22 the said dipper serves as a ground hook or anchor and that end portionof the platform 1 toward the dipper. is swung around in the direction of the dipl.

the apparatus has been completely swung around or turned. After this has been accomplished the cables 58 may be slacked and the cables 61 wound upon the drums 59 wherebythe track boards 63 will be elevated together with the frames 54.

Having described the. invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an excavating apparatus, a pivoted arm, a bell crank pivoted to the arm and having an outwardly disposed strut located vat a point between its ends,a dipper carried at one end ofthe bell crank, and traction means engaging one at ea/ch end of the bell crank, said struts adapted to engage one of said traction means.

2. In an excavating apparatus, a pivoted arm, a bell crank pivoted to the arm, adipper carried at one end of the bell crank, a traction means for swinging the bell crank upon the pivoted arm, a pivoted gatearranged to move along ,the dipper and bridle means for holding the gate while the dipper swings.

3. In an excavating apparatus, a pivoted arm, a bell crank pivoted to the arm, a dipper carriedat one end of said bell crank, a traction means for swinging the bell crank, a pivoted gate arranged to move along the dipper, bridle 'means for holdingthe gate during the swinging movement of the dipper and means for limiting the swinging movement of the dipper with relation to the gate. 4. An excavating apparatus comprising a boom, an arm pivoted to the boom, a bell crank pivoted to the arm, a dipper carried at one end of the bell crank and a traction means engaging the other end of the bellcrank and guided upon the boom.

5. In an excavating apparatus a boom, an arm pivoted to the boom, a bell crank pivoted to the arm, a dipper carried at one end of the bell crank, and traction means engaging one end of the bell crank and guided upon the boom.

61 The combination, with a boom, of a scoop or dipper pivoted thereon, arms pivotally connected with said boom and depending within said scoop, a scraper blade carried by said arms and adapted to sweep over. the `bottom of saidvscoop from end to end thereof, said scraper being forced backwardly in said scoop while it is being filled, and means for checking the backward movement of said scraper when near the rear end of said scoop, for the purpose specified.

7. The combination, with a boom, of-a scoop pivoted thereon, a scraper pivotally supported by said boom, and depending Within said scoop and free to swing by gravity from one end to the other of said scoop, and means for limiting the swinging 05 per. This operationlmay be repeated until l of said scraper.

8. The combination, with e, boom, of e, n testimony that claim the eegoing es scoop @Noted theme11, e Semper hevmg ab my own, 'i have heeo Mixed mygmgmegure pvot concentric Wh @ne pvt o seid scoop in the presence of ltwo Wnesses.

on said 1boom and adapted to Swing 'm seid. I JAMES Gf. FAIRBNKS. sceepengthwlse theeof, and memes foi@ 111x111 TWxmessesz ng the backward movement of sind sempel R. G. MQOLLUM,

during the dumping opera'on. l MyKELLY, 

